Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the respiratory tract of unknown aetiology. In severe asthma airway diathesis is profound, and thus apparent. Recently, however, evidence has indicated that specific inflammatory abnormalities exist even in the airways of subjects with mild disease. As inflammation is often associated with an increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and ...

Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) is probably the most important ubiquitously expressed little protein that you have never heard of. Discovered more than 20 years ago, it is now known as a master regulator of redox homeostasis, controlling a plethora of cytoprotective phase II anti-oxidant enzymes. Regulation of gene expression by histone acetyltransferases and histone deacetyl...

Dapsone is a commonly used second line drug for prophylaxis of pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) in immunocompromised patients. Oxidant hemolysis, caused by dapsone's metabolite hydroxylamine, is a common side effect, and screening for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is recommended before the drug is started in order to prevent potential hemolytic reactions. We report a...

AIM To assess serum Cu/Zn SOD (Superoxide Dismutase) concentration in individuals with clinical depression. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Serum from 36 individuals diagnosed with clinical depression and 18 healthy controls were tested for Cu/Zn SOD serum concentration using ELISAs. RESULTS Serum Cu/Zn SOD levels of depressed individuals (both with and without secondary anxiety) were significantly hi...

several lichen species have been used for medicinal purposes throughout the ages, and they were reported to be effective in the treatment of different disorders including tuberculosis, hemorrhoids, ulcer, dysentery and cancer. it is revealed that they may be easily accessible sources of natural drugs that could be used as a possible food supplement or in pharmaceutical industry after their safe...

It is thought that reactive oxygen species (ROS) participate in the inflammation which characterizes asthma, but the evidence supporting this contention is incomplete. F 2 -isoprostanes (F 2 -IsoPs) are arachidonate products formed on membrane phospholipids by the action of ROS and thereby represent a quantitative measure of oxidant stress in vivo. Using a mass spectrometric assay we measured u...